From 1951 to 1954 the Country Club was one of only two guitars in the Gretsch stable to utilize a spruce top; the other was the White Falcon. DeArmond pickups were the original choice, accompanied by a Synchromatic tailpiece, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and classic Gretsch block inlays. Finish options included sunburst or blond, and the headstock included "Electromantic" scrawled across its length.

In 1955 the Country Club underwent a long list of wholesale changes that clearly ranked as improvements. The first thing to go was the Synchromatic tailpiece which was replaced with the Gretsch "G-cutout". A few new colors were added including gray and Cadillac Green\; the latter eventually becoming the standard color as the Country Club evolved. In 1958 the DeArmonds pickups were dropped in favor of Hi-Lo Trons, the plastic knobs were replaced with metal, and the tone knob was replaced with a selector switch.

From there the Country Club remain largely untouched until the early 1970s. At that point in underwent a second restyling which lasted into the early 80s. A third style was adopted then, and continues being manufactured even today. Sometimes you'll find modern Country Clubs referred to as Electromatics or Synchromatics, but you can tell if it's a Country Club by checking the model number.